The Final Fight
The Final Fight is the last stage in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and the only stage in Chapter 12. It is followed up by downloadable content: Reverie and Resurrection. __TOC__ Zobek's journal :"And now the final battle is come. Marie is waiting for you, my friend. She knows what you have done. She knows everything. Marie has hoped all this time that you would save the world and here you are on the brink of it. You stand upon a knife edge. She has kept faith in you despite everything, now you must fulfill your destiny and the truth will out. I will help you, old friend. I will be with you in this your moment of victory!" Synopsis After defeating the Dracolich, Gabriel Belmont finds himself on a pinnacle between two large rocks reminiscent of screaming skulls. Presented with a shaft of holy light at the center, Gabriel recites the incantation to reveal the last piece of the God Mask, which falls from the sky. Placing the three fragments together, Gabriel completes the mask, and finds his partner Zobek before him, in his hand an unnoticed second mask. Zobek congratulates Gabriel for his work in completing the God Mask. Gabriel insists that they leave, while Zobek declares that it is time to "remove their masks" and end the "charade". So saying, the elder warrior dons the mask he holds, the Devil Mask, and is transformed into a gaunt, robed figure: the true Lord of the Dead and the last of the Lords of Shadow. Jubilant, the Lord of the Dead states that he was in fact the one who cast the spell separating Heaven and Earth in order to begin Gabriel's quest. He had known that once this crisis had occurred, his heavenly counterpart and those of Cornell and Carmilla would contact the Brotherhood and set into motion the prophecy of a chosen warrior who would save the world from evil. Zobek had used the prophecy to his advantage, and in doing so had used Gabriel as his pawn. He reveals that each of the Lords held a part of the God Mask, but none were ever willing to work together or subdue the others, forming "an uneasy truce" for "many centuries". Zobek grew weary of the stagnation and waste of potential, and decided to acquire the other pieces of the mask for himself. As such, willing to do whatever it took, Zobek ventured into Hell itself to find a way, battling demons to gain what he sought. While there, he claims something entered into him and gave him even greater knowledge and power, allowing him to achieve what he desired and to cast the separation spell. However, as Zobek couldn't be seen to be the one wanting the mask, he needed Gabriel as a cover. In order to prompt Gabriel into fulfilling the prophecy, Zobek would repeatedly utilize the Devil Mask on the warrior while he slept. In doing so, the Lord of the Dead was able to control Gabriel's own inner rage and unleash it; such control over Gabriel allowed Zobek to manipulate the Brotherhood knight into beginning the journey....by having the controlled Gabriel kill his own wife, Marie, without his knowledge. He admits he had been concerned Marie might reveal Zobek's plan when she met Gabriel at the Lake of Oblivion, but he deduced she still had faith that her husband would make amends and rescue the trapped spirits. Additionally, knowing Gabriel might become too powerful, Zobek decided he needed to have physical control over him and had Gabriel kill Claudia and the Black Knight Golem to obtain the Gauntlet, which the Lord knew had been forged in Hell and would allow Zobek to kill Gabriel once his goal had been obtained. The Lord of the Dead uses the Gauntlet to restrain Gabriel when he attacks, the tragic warrior in mental and physical agony over learning the truth. Saying farewell, Zobek utilizes the artifact and his own dark power to mortally wound Gabriel, placing the knight on the very brink of death. The Lord then joyfully claims the God Mask. However, as he is celebrating his victory, Zobek hears a disembodied voice laughing and greeting him. Disturbed, the former Founder demands to know who is there, to which the voice responds that it was the one who had guided Zobek in Hell and who, in fact, had given him the idea to gain the God Mask fragments in the first place, all to achieve a "higher purpose". The voice deems Zobek's usefulness over, and the Lord of the Dead spontaneously catches fire, screaming as he dies. A figure emerges, stepping over the Lord of the Dead's body and picking up the God Mask. The figure is revealed to be the fallen angel, Satan, who had desired the God Mask in order to begin anew his campaign against God. Meanwhile, Gabriel, barely alive, is called to join the trapped spirits. However, Marie stops the others, insisting that if he dies now, all is lost forever. The spirits question her, asking if he will be able to save them; Marie expresses faith that Gabriel will be able to destroy the darkness once he returns to the living. Persuaded, the spirits restore Gabriel to life. Sensing Gabriel, Satan addresses him, insisting he knows what it's like to be abandoned by God. He asks Gabriel to join him, but the knight refuses, insisting that God loves everyone and awaits when people "ask for forgiveness deep within" themselves. Gabriel goes further, stating the fallen angel got what he deserved, being "cast out" because unlike God, the Devil "would rather rule in power and might than to offer forgiveness and love". Angered, Satan insists that Gabriel will die "for his blasphemy", as he puts on the God Mask. The Devil utilizes his staff to cause ground quakes and hurl waves of fire at Gabriel. Similar to the fight with Pan, Satan can use Light and Dark Magic against the knight, causing Gabriel to continually switch to counter each respective magic type. Throughout, he taunts Gabriel, insisting they join forces, and claims Gabriel had been fooled, as Marie cannot come back. When weakened, Satan questions whether Gabriel has the power of God, and forms concentric circles of magic to protect himself. Despite this, Gabriel breaks through the rings of magic and continues the fight. Satan is also capable of summoning Light and Dark Magic Reapers to distract Gabriel. Ultimately, Satan impales Belmont on his staff, but Gabriel keeps fighting, breaking the staff and hurling the Devil to the ground, repeatedly whipping him with the Vampire Killer. The knight subdues Satan, who remarks Gabriel is damned, but the warrior claims he asks forgiveness for what he has done to others, even if it was done without knowing it, and is convinced he will be forgiven, begging God for mercy. Satan taunts Gabriel a final time, insisting he will "have such fun" with Marie, but Gabriel professes faith that his wife will ascend to Heaven. Gabriel begins shining with an intense holy light, which causes the God Mask to fall from Satan's face. Defeated, the Devil vanishes, and the exhausted Gabriel witnesses the souls trapped on earth finally rising to their true home. He encounters Marie, but expresses remorse that he is still alive and not with her. Marie tells him that this is his fate, and that he must live on to fully repent. She admits she couldn't tell him the truth about her death, or Gabriel would never have embarked on the journey, which in turn would have destroyed them all. Upset, Gabriel feels himself "unworthy" when Marie informs him that her faith in him had not been in vain, but she confirms her love and how she believes him to be "a good man...fallible, yet capable of great things". Marie forgives him, and states that God and all of the trapped souls have forgiven him. Gabriel reaches for the God Mask left behind; Marie reveals that its true power is to allow the wearer "to see through God's eyes". Gabriel places the mask on his face and sees his wife, as though she were alive again. The two kiss, but as they break apart, Marie removes the mask, and her husband now understands that it in truth can never bring back the dead physically, as he had hoped. Gabriel begs her not to go, but Marie insists on departing, as "the light is calling". She ascends with the God Mask, leaving behind a distraught Gabriel. Claudia then appears; the two smile faintly at one another before she too departs for Heaven. Gabriel is left in the Land of the Dead to mourn his life and the loss of those he cared for. Behind him, a glimpse of the Devil Mask, all that was left of Zobek, is seen as the chapter ends. Enemy Data Related locations *The Dracolich - The previous level. *Castle Hall - The next level, in Reverie. Category:Lords of Shadow Locations